News

As the Louisiana Legislature opened its regular session, thousands of teachers, school employees, students and friends of education across Louisiana were in mourning for public schools.

Around the state, "Black Monday" was observed by the wearing of black clothing. In Baton Rouge, a coalition of education organizations kicked off the session with a press conference urging lawmakers to reconsider drastic education cuts proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal. The Louisiana Federation of Teachers, Louisiana Association of Educators and Louisiana School Boards Association, sponsors of Black Monday, put aside organizational differences and pledged solidarity in their fight to save public education.

Looming budget cuts to public education, from kindergarten through college, threaten to derail Louisiana's educational progress and darken our state's economic future, according to Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan.

Join thousands of educators, students and friends of our schools, colleges and universities in mourning for public education on the first day of the legislative session.

Wear something black to school or work on Monday, April 27!

(Baton Rouge – March 24, 2009) Longtime labor leader and education advocate Nat LaCour was inducted into the Louisiana AFL-CIO Labor Hall of Fame in a ceremony Monday night at the AFL-CIO’s annual convention at the Baton Rouge Hilton Capitol Center.

 (Baton Rouge – March 11, 2009) The standstill education budget approved by a state board of education committee represents a retreat from the board’s stated goals for our children, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan said today.

(Baton Rouge – March 10, 2009) “The choice is between a rock and a hard place.” That is how Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan characterized the two public education funding options facing members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Obama: I support repealing the GPO/WEP and will work to do so as president.”

For the past three years, LFT and our members have joined forces with union members from other states to pass the national Social Security Fairness Act. That’s the law that would repeal two unfair pension offsets that cut duly earned benefits of Louisiana school employees and other public servants in more than a dozen states.

(Baton Rouge – March 5, 2009) Proposed changes to Louisiana’s teacher tenure laws are based on a flawed study that wrongly identifies tenure as “complicit” in keeping “ineffective teachers” in the classroom, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan said today, adding that LFT will fight efforts to water down laws that protect teacher rights.

Jefferson Parish paraprofessional Karen Riggleman, who works at Bunche Academy for High School Preparation, was named the Geraldine Bell Memorial Award winner at the Louisiana Federation of Teachers Paraprofessional and School Related Personnel Conference.